


Travelin' Soldier

by BBCGirl657



Series: Tom Hiddleston One-Shots [7]
Category: British Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) RPF, Thor (Movies) RPF, Unrelated (2007) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Soldier!Tom, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-03-04
Packaged: 2018-03-16 07:53:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3480317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBCGirl657/pseuds/BBCGirl657
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(AU Soldier!Tom) Tom meets Sophie the night before he deploys to Iraq.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Travelin' Soldier

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Travelin' Soldier" by The Dixie Chicks and this picture

For Sophie, tonight was like any other night.  She was waiting tables at the local pub. 

For Tom, this was his last night in London. In the morning, he was shipping out to Iraq, so some of his buddies and him went out for a drink. 

They entered the pub and sat down in a booth.

Sophie saw the group of men and walked over to them.

Tom noticed a red head with a bright blue ribbon in her hair walking towards them. 

“Hey, I’m Sophie and I’ll be serving you tonight. What can I get you?” Sophie asked them.

“That depends darlin’, are you on the menu?” Rhett asked. 

Tom scowled at the man. 

Sophie simply giggled and said, “No, but I can get you a pitcher of beer if you’d like one”. 

“That sounds lovely”, Tom told her. 

She smiled and walked over to the bar. As she filled the pitcher of beer, Tom couldn’t take his eyes off her. She came back over to their table.

“How much?” Tom asked.

“On the house”, she said, “Consider it a thank you for going off to fight for our country”.

 

As the night went on, Tom’s companions made their way back to the army barracks, until only Tom was left. 

“It’s almost last call”, Sophie said, “Any reason you haven’t left yet?”

“I don’t want be alone. Not tonight”, he told her, “Would you mind sitting down? I just need someone to talk to”.  

“I’m kinda working right now, but tell you what; I get off in an hour. Think you can wait that long?” she asked him. 

Tom nodded.

“I know a place we can go. Meet me outside after we lock up”, she said. True to her word, Sophie met him outside after they locked up. She took his hand in hers and they walked until they came to a bridge overlooking the Thames. “So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked him.

“All the other guys have got girls to write letters to. I don’t. I don’t care if you’ve got boyfriend, I just need someone to talk to. Would you mind if I wrote to you?” he asked. 

She thought it was odd that a complete stranger wanted to write her letters. “I wouldn’t mind that. You could even call me if you wanted to”, she told him. 

“I’d much rather write you letters. It means I have to choose my words carefully”, he said. 

“Are you good at that? Choosing words carefully?” she asked him.

“I should be. I went to Cambridge”, he said.

“Why is a Cambridge boy leaving to go fight for his country?” Sophie asked, “Shouldn’t you be teaching somewhere?” 

Tom chuckled and said, “Everyone in my family has fought in a war. It just feels right”. 

“If you’re going to be sending me letters, you’ll need my address”, she said. She pulled out a pen and wrote her address on his arm. Before they parted ways, Sophie leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Goodbye Tom”, she said.

“Goodbye Sophie”, he said.

 

A month into Tom’s deployment, Sophie received her first letter. 

He was quite eloquent with his choice of words.

Her family disapproved of course. 

They told her things like, “You don’t know if he’s ever coming back” and “You’re too young for him”. 

But Sophie didn’t care. She loved Tom and she was pretty sure that Tom felt the same way about her. She would wait forever for her soldier to come back to her. 

But Tom’s letters became more and more infrequent. 

She returned home from work one day to find her parents sitting at the kitchen table, a letter on the table. She rushed over to pick it up, hoping it was from Tom. Her heart dropped when she read the words: _Miss Donovan, we are sorry to inform you that Private Hiddleston has been reported as M.I.A. Once again, we are sorry for your loss._

Sophie dropped her knees and let out a gut wrenching sob. 

Her mother and father joined her on the floor as she cried for her lost love.

 

Sophie quit her job at the pub and no longer hung out with her friends. She had read the letter a thousand times wishing it was a dream. 

One day, the doorbell rang. 

She heard her mother open the door. 

There was a crashing noise. 

Sophie left her room to investigate and stopped when she saw her soldier standing there. 

Tom dropped his bag as Sophie launched herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.

“I thought you were dead”, she cried.

“I’m not, love. I’m not going anywhere”, he told her. She thanked whatever higher being for bringing her traveling soldier back to her.


End file.
